Political Ideologies and Political Socialization

Dr. East 9/2014

Take Political Ideology Quizzes• Ideology = worldview, perspective, way you think about

thinks, system of ideas and ideals… affects what you think Gov. can and should do

• Quizzes: – 1) from Pew Research Center

http://www.people-press.org/typology/quiz/

– 2) from PBS http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2012/quiz/

– 3) if you have time on your own, AFTER SCHOOL take this one… from Political Compass, read all results page, this is a much longer quiz and harder to understand (college level vocab) but potentially more accurate http://www.politicalcompass.org/test

National Results

from Pew Typology

Quiz

• Most people in the United States agree to fundamental values of freedom, equality of opportunity, individualism, and democracy.

• They disagree on almost everything else!

Cartoon source: http://blamethe1st.deviantart.com/art/Liberals-vs-Conservatives-141861934

Problematic Labels• Terms originated with Age of

Enlightenment and French Revolution – French radicals were called

“liberals”; aristocrats were “conservatives”

– US first modern country founded on liberal principles

– Labels of “Conservative” (“Right” on political spectrum) and “Liberal” (“Left” on political spectrum) have changed meaning many times.  

• What has remained stable are differences between those who advocate for more governmental controls and those who advocate for more individual choices.

Modern Conservatives• Tend to want smaller government or less

expansion of government programs• Reduce dependency on government• Often believe that individuals and families, and

independent charities should meet human needs… gov. programs are hard to control and don’t actually work that well

• Often believe that large gov. programs are fiscally irresponsible and not truly responsive to people and society’s long term needs

Modern Liberals

• Often advocate for larger or more expansive government programs and the use of federal power to promote economic stability between groups in the US populace.

• Tend to support new or progressive ideals, new kinds of relationships, individual choices, and large government backed societal changes (like New Deal agencies or National Health Insurance)

Subdividing the Conservatives• Social Conservatives – typically are

those that are more traditional in their views toward marriage, relationships, religious practice, and personal accountability

• Fiscal Conservatives – typically are those that champion free market capitalism, lower government taxes, and less regulation of economy

Modern Political Spectrum

The Spectrum And Representation

Other Political Labels

• Graphic Source: http://teamrussell4norwich.com/libertarian-party-best-of-democrat-republican/

Agents of Socialization • Socialization = process of learning cultures and behaviors from those around you and from your interaction with the world

• Political socialization is how we came to hold our political views

Believe it or Not

Last Presidential Electionsource:

http://blog.bigml.com/2013/09/17/obama-vs-romney-a-closer-look-at-voter-influences/